Closure fastener means



Jan. 12, 1965 G. WALDES CLOSURE FASTENER MEANS Filed Sept. 24, 1962 INVENTOR.

GEORGE WAL DES ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,164,875 CLGSURE FASTENER MEANS George Waldes, Plantlome, N.Y., assignor to Waldes Kohinoor, Inc, a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 225,602 7 Claims. (Cl. 24-405) This invention relates to improvements in closure fastener means and more particularly in closure fasteners of the combined slider-activated and hook-and-eye type, the present application for Letters Patent thereon being a continuation-in-part of my earlier application Serial No. 204,131, filed June 21, 1962, now abandoned.

As is well known, garments such as corsets, girdles and the like, which are required to fit the body very snugly for support and/ or appearance, and which conventionally are provided with a waist line opening adapted to be closed by a slide fastener or zipper, are usually subjected to very high stresses in the region of said opening even in normal wear thereof. These stresses are further increased when the garment is slipped on or taken off and can become so high as to result in ripping, tearing or otherwise damaging the garment proper at or near the closed end of the opening. Moreover, when the opening was closed by the conventional zipper fastener, the aforesaid high stresses oftentimes ripped the zipper tapes from the garment or otherwise damaged the zipper. Thus, it was earlier recognized as necessary, and it has now become customary, to strengthen the zipper closure of those garments where the aforesaid high stresses could be anticipitated by providing same with an underlying hook-and-eye fastener, the resulting fastener being generally known as a combined zipper and hook-and-eye fastener unit.

While because of the sturdy construction and high holding power of the hook-and-eye type fastener such a combined fastener unit in large measure overcame the disadvantages attendant to the conventional zipper when used as the sole closure means for the openings of the garments in question, the known forms of such a combined fastener unit fail in meeting fully the modern requirements of the trade. In explanation, it is conventional to construct such a fastener unit by securing the tapes of the zipper stringers as by sewing in overlying relation to the respective hook-and-eye tapes of the hook-and-eye fastener in such relative longitudinal positions that the zipper tapes extend above the hook-andeye fastener, whereby opening and closing of the zipper is facilitated by reason of the underlying hook-and-eye fastener component taking the brunt of the stresses exerted on the fastener unit when the latter is used in tightfitting garments as aforesaid. Obviously, the use of separate zipper and hook-and-eye fastener tapes and their disposition in overlying-underlying relationship results in the combined fastener unit being relatively bulky. When it is further considered that the garments to which such a combined fastener unit is applied are oftentimes made of thin material, the use therewith of a closure fastener having an unwanted heavy and bulky appearance, and which is likely to cause the garment to be bulky in the vicinity of its opening, is highly objectionable to the trade.

Another objection to the combined fastener unit as previously constructed, based on the use of two different pairs or sets of fastener tapes, is that the tapes of the pair thereof, even though of the same material, tend to shrink differently in washing and thus are likely not to accurately align with one another following garment laundering. This misalignment, which is a cause of garment puckering and wrinkling, is even more likely to occur when the different pairs of tapes are made of 3,lfit,8?5 Patented Jan. 12, 1965 different material, for example, nylon in the case of the zipper tapes, and cotton in the case of the hook-and-eye tapes. Moreover, when the tapes are colored by dyeing so as to initially have the same color and shade, the individual tapes of the pair often take on different shades after garment laundering, and this is objectionable because it impairs the looks of the fastener unit to a degree lessening the sales appeal of the finished garment.

Yet another disadvantage to the use of plural tapes in combined fastener untis as aforesaid is the difliculty in handling two separate and distinct pairs of tapes as compared to but a single set of tapes, throughout the fastenerunit manufacturing process. I

Stated broadly, an object of the invention is the provision of a combined slider-activated and hook-and-eye type fastener unit for use in garments such as corsets, girdles and the like which is less bulky and thick and hence more attractive in use than the known fastener units serving similar function.

A more particular object of the invention is the provision of a combined slider-activated and hook-and-eye type fastener unit for use as aforesaid which can be produced more simply and economically than known combined fastener units of similar purpose.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a combined slider-activated and hook-and-eye type fastener unit for a garment, which employs instead of plural pairs of tapes as heretofore, but a single pair of fastener strips of textile or equivalent material, as results in decreased bulkiness of said unit, a substantial saving in material costs, a simplification of the manufacturing process and less likelihood of the fastener being adversely affected and/ or its appearance impaired by laundering of the garment to which the unit is applied.

The above and other objects and features of advantage of a combined slider-activated and hook-and-eye type fastener unit for a garment according to the present invention will appear from the following detailed description thereof, with reference being had to the accompanying illustrative drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a combined fastener unit of the invention applied as a garmentopening closing means, the unit being shown in its partially open state;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, illustrating the sectional construction and arrangement of one fastener strip making up the combined fastener unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1, illustrating the sectional construction and arrangement of the companion fastener strip; and

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2, which illustrates a modified section which said one fastener strip may have.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, reference character PS designates generally one of the but two longitudinal fastener strips characterizing the combined slider-activated and hook-and-eye fastener unit of the invention, which for convenience is hereinafter termed the eye strip since it carries the eye fasteners of the hookand-eye fastener component. Said eye strip PS when of the form shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises a unitary or one-piece length of tape longitudinally folded on itself in manner such that it provides in transverse section a relatively wide body portion 10 and integral therewith an overlying portion 11 connected to said body portion by a line of fold 11a which defines the inner longitudinal edge of the strip proper, that is, the edge which is secured as by stitching to one side edge of a placket or opening of a garment such as a girdle, corset or the like served by the fastener unit. Said overlying portion 11 may be secured in its folded-over relation to the strip body portion 10, preferably by a double row of stitches 12, 12a. Relatively outwardly from said rows of stitches, i.e. toward the opposite or outer longitudinal edge of the strip, said overlying strip portion 11 is folded back on itself along longitudinal fold line 13, thus to form a longitudinally extending double-ply flap 14 which overlies the longitudinal middle portion of said strip body portion 10. Said overlying portion 11 is continued in relatively outward direction beyond said flap 14 and its outer edge portion, which terminates short of the outer longitudinal edge line of the strip body portion 10, is folded under as at 15, thus to provide a two-ply terminating edge portion serving as a covering for the attaching portion or portions of the fastener eyes 16. Along its outer longitudinal edge, said strip body portion carries a longitudinally extending overlying portion 17 which extends towards said opposite-edge overlying portion 11 and is connected to said body portion by a line of fold 18 defining the outer edge line of the strip proper. Said overlying portion 17 extends in rearward (inward) direction, i.e. toward the strip inner edge 11a, a distance such that its terminating edge portion is lapped by the terminating edge portion of the aforesaid overlying portion 11. Thus, the attaching portions of the fastener eyes 16, when interposed between the terminating edge portions of the overlying strip or tape portions 11 and 17, can be readily and effectively secured by a line of stitching 19 passed through said edge portions 15 and 17, attaching portions of the fastener eyes 16, and the strip body portion 10, thus to secure said eyes in position such that their rounded bight portions are exposed and extend towards the longitudinal outer edge 18 of the strip proper and are moreover disposed on :a longitudinal line which is intermediate flap fold line 13 and the strip front-edge line 18.

The companion, longitudinally extending fastener strip generally designated PS and for convenience referred to as the hook strip, also comprises a unitary or one-piece length of tape longitudinally folded on itself in manner such that it provides in transverse section a relatively wide body portion 22 and integral therewith a longitudinally extending, folded-under edge portion 23 connected to said body portion by a line of fold 23a which defines the rearward or garment connecting edge of the strip proper, said edge portion 23 being secured in place as by a line of stitches 24. The inner or terminating edge portion of said folded-under edge portion 23 is folded under itself as at 25, thus to provide a two-ply covering for the attaching portions of the fastener hooks 26 inserted thereunder. Along its free inner edge, the strip body portion 22 is provided with an integral folded-under portion 27 connected thereto by a line of fold 28 defining the inner edge of said hook strip FS The terminating edge portion of said folded-under portion 27 underlies the attaching portion or portions of the fastener hooks 26, and both are covered or lapped from the other side by the doubledover, terminating edge portion of the other underlying strip portion 23 as aforesaid, and said hooks are secured in place as by a line of stitching 29 passing therethrough and the strip body portion 22. Accordingly, the hooks 26 are secured and disposed so that their bill portions are exposed and that the hooks open towards the relatively inner edge of said strip body portion as defined by the aforesaid line of fold 23a and are moreover disposed on a longitudinal line which is spaced from the outer edge line 28 of the strip proper a distance corresponding to the spacing of the longitudinal line of the eyes 16 from the outer edge line 18 of the aforesaid eye strip PS It will of course be understood that the eyes 16 and hooks 26 are secured at regularly spaced intervals along the length of the respective fastener strips PS and PS and that they are also located longitudinally of their respective carrying strips at corresponding distances therealong so as to be capable, when brought together, of being coupled one with the other in conventional manner.

A fastener unit according to the invention differs from conventional hook-and-eye tape fasteners and also from known combined slide fastener or Zipper and hook-andeye fastener units in that the aforesaid unitary take-form strips PS and PS mounting the hook-and-eye fastener elements also provide a common mounting tape for the slider-activated fastener elements or means which provide the related fastener component of the fastener unit, thus to make separate tapes for the latter unnecessary. It is a further feature of the invention that the slideractivated fastener component may be provided solely by two tapeless stringers or chains C and C of such fastener elements or means, the chain C illustratively comprising a longitudinal cord or head 30 carrying a row of interlocking fastener elements 31, which cord is secured as by sewing 32 to the free edge (fold line 13) of the flap 14 of the eye strip PS andthe chain C illustratively comprising a similar longitudinal cord 33 carrying a row of interengaging fastener elements 34 and which is secured to the outer edge 28 of the fastener strip FS as by sewing 35. While the illustrated chains C and C and their manner of fabrication and attachment are of the type disclosed and claimed in copending Waldes et a1. application Serial No. 65,478, filed October 27, 1960, it is to be understood that slider-activated fastener chains of other known types and forms which are suitable to the end purpose of the invention including those employing or made of spiral coils, either metal or plastic, and those employing other interlocking means capable of making a continuous closure, when slider activated, may be substituted.

It will be further understood that the above described arrangement is such that the rows of interengaging fastener elements 31, 34 define one line of closure provided by the herein closure unit, that the series of hook-and-eye fastener elements define a second line of closure also provided by said unit, and, finally, that said lines of closure are offset laterally from one another.

Referring to FIG. 4 illustrating a fastener strip generally designated FS possessing the basic characteristics of the above described eye-strip PS but having a somewhat different section, it will be observed that according to the modified section the overlying strip portion 11 (comparing to the overlying portion 11, FIG. 2) is not stitched to the strip body portion 10 along its fold line 11a as is said overlying portion 11, but, instead, extends in non-stitched and hence free-swinging relation with respect to said body portion from the inner longitudinal fold line 11a of the fastener strip proper to the free edge 13 of the flap 14 from when it folds beneath said flap proper and forms a flap underply 14 which extends inwardly to approximately said longitudinal fold line 11a,

' where it is again folded under along line 1t and thence extends forwardly to the doubled-over edge 15 which overlies and masks the attaching portion or portions of the fastener eyes 16. Rows of longitudinal stitches 12 and 12 are provided but, rather than securing the overlying portion 11 to the strip body portion 10 adjacent the inner longitudinal edge line 11a of the strip proper as do the stitches 12, 12a of the FIG. 2 section, the stitches 12 12 secure the outer and folded-under plies making up the flap 14 to one another immediately adjacent the free longitudinal edge line 13 of said flap.

The modified section of eye strip PS shown in FIG. 4 not only is simpler in manufacture than the FIG. 2 section, but also it provides the flap 14 with greater effective Width and radius of swing than possessed by the flap 14 of the FIG. 2 section, as in turn makes for easier engagement and disengagement of the slider-activated coupling elements carried by said flap with the interlocking elements carried by the companion strip PS In connection with the material of the strips proper, it is explained that while the strips will ordinarily be made of textile material, the invention is not limited in this respect since any strip material, including plastic, suitable to making up fastener stnips capable of functioning as described and also suitable for use with garments such as ladies foundation garments may be employed in fabricating the fastener strips.

As will appear from analysis of FIG. 1, taken with the fastener strip section(s) of FIGS. 2-4 inclusive, a fastener unit of the invention provides a practical combined slider-activated and hook-and-eye closure fastener unit capable of functioning in manner fully comparable to the known combined zipper and hook-and-eye units, but difiering therefrom in utilizing but a single pairof fastener strips, in contrast to the plural pairs of fastener tapes of said known units. Accordingly, the fastener unit of the invention may be produced more simply and economically than the known units and have the further advantage of being substantially ripand tear-proof. Moreover, because but a single'pair of fastener strips is employed, the likelihood of said strips shrinking differently with respect to one another and/ or of taking on different color shades in laundering is also halved as compared to the known combined slide fastener and hookand-eye type fastener units. Finally, since use is made of but a single pair of fastener strips, each fulfilling the function of two separate fastener tapes, the potential of the combined fastener unit of the invention retaining its initial free and easy operation throughout the full life of the fastener unit is greatly increased.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A combination slider-activated and hook-and-eye closure fastener unit comprising: a single pair of fastener tapes; one of said tapes being folded on itself to provide a longitudinal integral flap extending in a direction away from said tape and overlying a portion of said tape, said flap having a free edge portion, a plurality of slider-activated coupling elements disposed in a longitudinal row extending along and being secured to the free edge portion of said flap, said one fastener tape also carrying a longitudinal series of fastener eyes disposed in spaced-apart relation; the other of said fastener tapes having secured thereto a plurality of slider-activated coupling elements disposed in a longitudinal row and which are adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from said first-named coupling elements, said other tape also carrying a longitudinal series of longitudinally spaced-apart fastener hooks which are adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from the fastener eyes of said one fastener tape; and a slider carried by said tapes for etfecting engagement and disengagement of the coupling elements of the rows thereof; the construction and arrangement being such that said one tape is common to the first-named row of coupling elements and to said series of fastener eyes, and said other tape is common to said second-named row of fastener elements and to the series of fastener hooks.

2. A combination slider-activated and hook-aud-eye fastener unit according to claim 1, wherein a unitary chain of said coupling elements is carried by each of said tapes, each said chain comprising a cord and the plurality of coupling elements of a longitudinal row thereof, the cords of said chains being secured by stitching to the free edge portion of the flap of said one tape and to said other tape, respectively.

3. A combination slide fastener and hook-and-eye closure unit according to claim 1, wherein said rows of fastener elements when engaged effect one line of fastener closure and said hooks and eyes when engaged effect another line of fastener closure, and whereinsaid line of closure are ofifset laterally from one another.

4. In a combination slider-activated and hook-and-eye closure fastener tape, a unitary strip of fastener-tape material folded over on itself along lines of fold which parallel'the side edges of the strip and which define the outer and inner side edges of the tape proper, thereby to provide said tape with overlying portions which extend from its side edges towards one another, one overlying portion being folded on itself to provide a longitudinal integral flap extending in a direction away from said tape and said flap having a free edge portion, said one overlying portion being continued beyond said flap and terminating in an edge portion which laps the terminating edge portion of the other overlying portion, a plurality of slider-activated coupling elements disposed in a longitudinal row extending along and being secured to the free edge portion of said flap, and a longitudinal series of spaced-apart fastener-eye elements having attaching portions which are interposed between the terminating edge portions of said overlying portions, and a line of stitches passing through said terminating edge portions and said tape for securing the attaching portions of said eye elements to said tape.

5. A fastener tape carrying fastener elements according to claim 4, wherein the coupling elements of the row thereof are mounted on a carrying cord and said cord is secured by sewing to the free edge portion of said flap.

6. In a combination slider-activated and hook-and-eye closure fastener tape, a unitary strip of fastener-tape material folded under on itself along lines of fold which parallel the side edges of the strip and which define the inner and outer edges of the tape proper thereby to provide said tape with folded-under portions whichextend from its side edges towards one another, one said folded-under portion having a terminating edge portion which laps the terminating edge portion of said other folded-under portion, a longitudinal series of spaced-apart fastener-hook elements having attaching portions which are interposed between the terminating edge portions of said underlying portions and being secured by a line of stitches passing through said terminating edge portions and said tape for securing the attaching portions of said hook elements to said tape, and a plurality of slider-activated coupling elements disposed in a longitudinal row extending along and secured to the side edge of the tape which is defined by the line of fold between said tape proper and said other underlying portion.

7. A fastener tape carrying fastener elements 'according to claim 6, wherein the coupling elements are mounted in row formation on a carrying cord and said cord is secured to the aforesaid side edge of said tape by sewing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,073,380 3/37 Roseman 24205.1 2,683,264 7/54 Roseman 24-205 2,703,888 3/55 Roseman 24-205 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,220,464 5/60 France.

525,576 8/40 Great Britain.

DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COMBINATION SLIDER-ACTIVATED AND HOOK-AND-EYE CLOSURE FASTENER UNIT COMPRISING: A SINGLE PAIR OF FASTENER TAPES; ONE OF SAID TAPES BEING FOLDED ON ITSELF TO PROVIDE A LONGITUDINAL INTEGRAL FLAP EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID TAPE AND OVERLYING A PORTION OF SAID TAPE, SAID FLAP HAVING A FREE EDGE PORTION, A PLURALITY OF SLIDER-ACTIVATED COUPLING ELEMENTS DISPOSED IN A LONGITUDINAL ROW EXTENDING ALONG AND BEING SECURED TO THE FREE EDGE PORTION OF SAID FLAP, SAID ONE FASTENER TAPE ALSO CARRYING A LONGITUDINAL SERIES OF FASTENER EYES TAPES HAVING SECURED LATION; THE OTHER OF SAID FASTENER TAPES HAVING SECURED THERETO A PLURALITY OF SLIDER-ACTIVATED COUPLING ELEMENTS DISPOSED IN A LONGITUDINAL ROW AND WHICH ARE ADATPED TO BE ENGAGED WITH AND DISENGAGED FROM SAID FIRST-NAMED COUPLING ELEMENTS, SAID OTHER TAPE ALSO CARRYING A LONGITUDINAL SERIES OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED-APART FASTENER HOOKS WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED WITH AND DISENGAGED FROM THE FASTENER EYES OF SAID ONE FASTENER TAPE; AND A SLIDER CARRIER BY SAID TAPES FOR EFFECTING ENGAGEMENT AND DISENGAGEMENT OF THE COUPLING ELEMENTS OF THE ROWS THEREOF; THE CONSTRUCTION AND A ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT SAID ONE TAPE IS COMMON THE FIRST-NAMED ROW OF COUPLING ELEMENTS AND TO SAID SERIES OF FASTENER EYES, AND SAID OTHER TAPE IS COMMON TO SAID SECOND-NAMED ROW OF FASTENER ELEMENTS AND TO THE SERIES OF FASTENER HOOKS. 